Automobile brake



.hafiy 24, 1923. 1,462,918

c. E. NORTON AUTOMOBILE BRAKE Filed Jan. 23. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 nucntoz July 24, W23. 1,4629% 0. E. NORTON AUTOMOBILE BRAKE Filed Jan. 23, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 24, 1923. 1

UNITED PATENT rarer. I

CHARLES E. NORTON, OI! LOVELAND, COLORADO, ASSIGNORDF ONE- ti 1 1P. NORTON, 0F LOVELAND, COLORADO.

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Application filed January ae, 192a Serial No. maze.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. NORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Loveland, in the county of Larimer and State of (Jolorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automobile brakes and has for an important object thereof the provision of an electrically controlled brake.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character in which the brake is applied electrically and released manually. As is well known to those familiar with the art emergency brake controls, such as usually employed, are so located as to necessitate the operator of the car removing one hand from the steering wheel. Furthermore, in reaching for these controls it is necessary for the driver to keep his eyes to the front to be certain of avoiding an accident and accordingly the emergency brake control is often missed by the hand delaying the stopping of the-car and sometimes resulting in accidents. In the provision of an electrical control for the brake it becomes possible to place the operating switch upon the steering wheel of the car, thus eliminating the necessity of removing the hands from the steering wheel, and so placing likewise eliminates the necessity for fumbling for the control levers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily applied to the standard makes of cars.

Other objects and advanta es of the-invention will become apparent t roughout the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout I Figure 1 is a plan view of a brake operating mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective portion of the operating bar;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the operating mechanism, parts being shown in section;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and I Figure 5 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 4 but embodying a slightly modified structure.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the character '1 desi ates the transm ssion case ofan automobi e which I, preferably employ as a mounting for the rake operatin mechanism. In accordance with my inventlon I place upon the cover 11 of the transmission a housing 10 in which is slidably mounted an operating bar 12.

The operating bar 12 is provided upon the upper face thereof with a gear rack 13 and upon the side face thereof with a ratchet rack 14. The housing 10 has formed in the upper surface thereof an opening 15. I likewise mount upon the transmission cover 11 a motor 16, the armature shaft 1? of which has secured thereto a gear 18 meshi with the rack 13 of the operating bar 12 through the opening 15 of the housing 10. v

It will, of course, be understood that in some instances it ma not be desirable that the armature shaft 0 the motor 16 be geared directly to the rack 13 and in such cases a gear train 18 may be employed between the motor and the rack to reduce the speed surrounded by a spring 24 forcing the bolt into engagement with the rack. This spring operates intermediate an enlargement 25 formed on the bolt and the car 20 of the plate 19. The enlargement 25 likewise serves to limit the forward movement of the bolt 22.

The extension 25 is connected throu h the medium of alink 26 to one arm of a ivoted bell crank lever 27, to the other arm 0 which is pivotally connected as at 27* a dad stud 28 of a pedal 29 operating throng the floor boards 30 of the car. The motor 16 will be connected in series with the storage batteryof the car and a push button or any other suitable switch control which, as hereinbefore stated, may be located upon the steering wheel or whatever the driver may machine. The

to the brake rod the the inoperative position. When the switch is closed'completin'g the circuit, the motor causes the operating rod to be drawn forwardl carrying therewith the brake rod B and when the rod is tightened it will be held in this position by the en agement of the bolt 22 and the rack 14: an may be left in such engaged'position until its release is desired, no strain being placed upon the motor. When it is'desired to release the same t he depression of the foot pedal 29 will withdraw the bolt 22 and permit the spring return S of the brake rod to draw the operating rod rearwardly.

From theforegoing description it is believed to be obvious that a device "constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for the use for which it is intended by reason of the fact that it simplifies the operation of applying the brakes of a car andplaces the control of the brakes within the province of a person too weak to ratia a" bar 12 is connected,

rake rod being provided with the usual s ring return normally 5 holding the same so t at the brakes are in handle the manual type. It will furthermore be obvious that man changes are possible in the construction ereinbefore set forth without in any manner departing from the spirit of my inventionor the scope of the sub-joined claim. I

-What I claim is:

In a brake operating mechanism, a brakerod, means normally urging the brake rod in one direction, means for moving the brake rod in the opposite direction including a bar provided with a ratchet rack, a plate having spaced ears, a bolt slidably mounted in the ears'of said plate and provided intermediate the ears with an enlar ement, a spring extending intermediate t e enlargement of the bolt and one of said ears signature.

CHARLES E. NORTON. 

